Irish Wheelchair Basketball Team May Join Footballers' Protest Against Israel
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Ireland's women's wheelchair basketball team is reportedly planning to protest against Israel during their upcoming European Championship qualifier on October 14. The players are expected to bow their heads during the Israeli anthem and wear black armbands, mirroring actions taken by the Irish football team. Pro-Palestinian groups and Senator Chris Andrews have called for a boycott and greater accountability from the Irish Wheelchair Basketball Association, which stated player consultation is key to their decision.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Ireland's women's wheelchair basketball team may protest against Israel on October 14.
- Players are expected to bow heads during the Israeli anthem and wear black armbands.
- The protest mirrors actions taken by the Irish men's football team in recent matches.
- Pro-Palestinian groups and Senator Chris Andrews have called for a boycott of the game.
- The Irish Wheelchair Basketball Association is consulting players on the decision.
- The game is a European Championship Division B qualifier.
Protests against Israel are expanding beyond football in Ireland, with the national women's wheelchair basketball team reportedly planning to take similar actions to the men's football squad. The team is scheduled to play against Israel on Wednesday, October 14, in a European Championship Division B qualifier. According to Extra.ie, players are expected to bow their heads during the Israeli national anthem and wear black armbands to commemorate those killed in Gaza.
Similar to the football matches, the upcoming basketball game has drawn calls for a boycott from Irish pro-Palestinian organizations, including Irish Sport for Palestine and Irish Healthcare Workers for Palestine. These groups have criticized the decision to allow the team to compete against Israel.
The issue reached the Irish Senate last month, where Senator Chris Andrews of Sinn Féin called for an examination of the Irish Wheelchair Basketball Association's conduct, citing its significant public funding. Andrews argued that wheelchair basketball should not be exempt from criticism simply because it involves athletes with disabilities, stating that disabled sports should be held to the same standards of accountability as any other sport.
The association responded by clarifying that the final decision on proceeding with the game rests with its board, in consultation with the players. They emphasized that player consultation is a crucial part of the decision-making process and that the decision was not taken lightly. The association also stated that wheelchair sports should not be patronized and should be subject to the same scrutiny as other sports, and that their athletes deserve equal opportunities, respect, and recognition.
Andrews also raised concerns about the association's fundraising pages, which initially did not mention the game against Israel. The association refuted these claims, explaining that the pages were intended to cover general international competition expenses, not to list specific opponents. They asserted that it is not unusual for individual games not to be featured on fundraising pages, as the focus is on the fundraising goal itself, not on particular matches.
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